In every educational setting, student behaviour is a dynamic and often challenging aspect of daily life, especially when individuals exhibit behaviours that disrupt learning, impact safety, or hinder their own progress.
Case in point, NASUWT describes how, “The main concern for staff in all schools, in all areas, is the growing pressure from what is now the most common form of poor behaviour, so-called ‘low-level disruption’. Constant challenges to authority, persistent refusal to obey school rules and frequent, regular verbal abuse of staff are the hallmarks of this behaviour.”
For staff tasked with addressing these issues, effective interventions are crucial. This isn’t just about managing an immediate problem; it’s about guiding students towards more positive choices and cultivating a supportive learning environment.
At The Mentoring School we believe that strong mentoring principles underpin successful interventions, allowing staff to adopt a guiding, empowering approach.
Here are five essential tips to help you deliver impactful and positive interventions:
1. Master the Art of Active Listening and Observation
Before you can effectively address a behaviour, you need to understand it. This goes beyond simply seeing what’s happening on the surface. Teaching Channel raise awareness of the vital role that listening can play: “It matters for students knowing their ideas are understood and valued. It matters because teachers create the listening culture in their classrooms. It matters because students listen the way they are heard.”
- Listen to Understand, Not Just to Reply: When a student is able to articulate their feelings, frustrations, or reasons for their behaviour, give them your full, undivided attention. Don’t interrupt. Let them finish their thoughts. Use verbal and non-verbal cues (nodding, eye contact) to show you are engaged.
- Observe the Full Picture: Look beyond the immediate incident. What happened just before the behaviour? What’s the context? Is there a pattern? Observing body language, facial expressions, and interactions with peers can provide invaluable clues about the root cause of the behaviour. For example, a student acting out might be experiencing anxiety, struggling with a particular academic task, or facing difficulties at home.
- Ask Open-Ended Questions: Instead of “Why did you do that?”, try “Can you tell me what happened from your perspective?” or “What were you hoping to achieve?” These questions encourage reflection and provide you with more comprehensive information.
Mentoring Link: A core tenet of mentoring is truly understanding the mentee’s world. Similarly, active listening and keen observation allow staff to step into the student’s shoes, gaining the insight needed for a tailored and empathetic intervention.
2. Focus on the Behaviour, Not the Student’s Character
It’s easy to label a student based on their behaviour (“He’s always disruptive,” “She’s so defiant”). However, effective interventions separate the action from the individual. As Thrive state, “When pupils struggle with aspects of their social and emotional development, such as managing their emotions or understanding others’ perspectives, they may resort to disruptive behaviours to express their frustrations or seek attention.”
- Be Specific and Objective: Describe the behaviour clearly and concisely. Instead of “You’re being rude,” try “When you spoke over me during the lesson, it made it difficult for others to hear.”
- Avoid Labels and Personal Attacks: Attacking a student’s character can lead to defensiveness and damage your relationship. The goal is to change the behaviour, not to shame the student.
- Emphasize Impact: Explain how the behaviour affects others, the learning environment, or the student’s own progress. “When you shout out, it makes it hard for your classmates to concentrate on their work,” is far more effective than “You’re being noisy.”
Mentoring Link: Mentors guide individuals toward growth by focusing on actionable steps and skill development, not by judging their inherent worth. Similarly, interventions are most effective when they target specific behaviours that can be modified, empowering the student to make better choices.
3. Establish Clear Expectations and Consistent Consequences
Students thrive on predictability and clear boundaries. Prospects champions being a ‘proactive teacher’, who “has strategies and solutions in place for children who misbehave and is unwavering in implementing them… Proactive classroom management involves creating an environment where pupils are less likely to act out because they are engaged and know the routines.”
When expectations are ambiguous or consequences are inconsistent, behavioural issues are more likely to escalate.
- Communicate Expectations Proactively: Ensure students understand the rules and what is expected of them before problems arise. This can be done through classroom discussions, visual aids, or school-wide policies.
- Be Consistent: If a rule applies to one student, it must apply to all. Inconsistency undermines your authority and can lead to resentment. If a consequence is stated, it must be followed through.
- Consequences Should Be Logical and Proportional: The consequence should relate to the behaviour and be reasonable in its severity. For instance, if a student damages property, a logical consequence might involve repairing it or contributing to its replacement. Avoid punitive measures that don’t teach a lesson.
- Follow Through Every Time: Even small infractions, if ignored, can signal that rules are not important. Consistent follow-through reinforces boundaries.
Mentoring Link: A mentor provides clear guidance and outlines the path to achieving goals. In the same way, clear expectations and consistent consequences provide a structured framework within which students can learn to self-regulate and understand the natural outcomes of their actions.
4. Teach and Reinforce Replacement Behaviours
Simply telling a student to stop doing something isn’t enough. You need to equip them with alternative, more positive ways to meet their needs. According to Trauma Informed Teachers, “developing replacement behaviours can get students active in the classroom, improve their confidence, and strengthen relationships and the overall classroom community.”
- Identify the Function of the Behaviour: What is the student trying to achieve with their misbehaviour? Is it attention? Escape from a task? Control? Once you understand the underlying need, you can teach a more appropriate way to meet it.
- Directly Teach Alternative Skills: If a student shouts out for attention, teach them how to raise their hand politely. If they disengage from a task, teach them how to ask for help or take a short break. This might involve role-playing, explicit instruction, or providing visual cues.
- Positive Reinforcement: When students use the replacement behaviour, acknowledge and praise them. Be specific: “Thank you for raising your hand before speaking, that really helped me hear everyone’s ideas.” Positive reinforcement increases the likelihood of the desired behaviour being repeated.
- Practice and Repetition: Like any new skill, positive behaviours need practice. Provide opportunities for students to use their new skills and offer ongoing support.
Mentoring Link: Mentoring is fundamentally about skill development and empowering individuals to find better solutions. By teaching replacement behaviours, staff act as mentors, equipping students with the tools they need to navigate challenging situations more effectively.
5. Prioritise Relationship Building and Empathy
While dealing with challenging behaviours can be frustrating, remember that a positive relationship with the student is your most powerful tool. Worth-It identified that “when a young person feels connected to others and has a strong sense of belonging in their school community, they are more likely to have good wellbeing and achieve academically.”
- Build Rapport Before Issues Arise: Invest time in getting to know your students as individuals. Show genuine interest in their lives, hobbies, and concerns. A strong relationship built on trust makes interventions far more effective.
- Show Empathy: Try to understand the student’s perspective and feelings, even if you don’t condone their behaviour. “I can see you’re really frustrated right now,” can de-escalate a situation and open the door for a more productive conversation.
- Maintain Composure: Your emotional state can significantly impact the outcome of an intervention. Remain calm, even when the student is not. This models appropriate emotional regulation and prevents the situation from escalating.
- Offer Support and Solutions, Not Just Punishment: Frame interventions as opportunities for growth and support. “How can we work together to make sure this doesn’t happen again?” or “What support do you need to help you manage this?”
Mentoring Link: The foundation of all successful mentoring relationships is trust and empathy. When staff approach interventions with genuine care and a commitment to the student’s well-being, they create an environment where students feel safe to learn, grow, and ultimately, change their behaviour for the better.
Delivering interventions for student behavioural issues is a nuanced and often demanding aspect of working in education. By adopting these five tips – rooted in the powerful principles of active listening, clear communication, consistent boundaries, skill-building, and empathetic relationship-building – staff can move beyond merely managing problems to truly mentoring students towards positive and lasting behavioural change.
If your school or organization is looking to further develop your staff’s skills in positive behaviour management and student support, explore our comprehensive mentoring training programs: